Lug construction



Aug. 6, 1968 Filed Nov. 15, 1966 E. E. LANGSTON LUG CONSTRUCTION 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2

Everett Edward Langston 1N VE N TOR.

W MW Aug. 6, 1968 E. E. LANGSTON LUG CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledNov. 16, 1966 Fig.4

United States 3,395,823 Patented Aug. 6, 1968 3,395,823 LUG CONSTRUCTIONEverett Edward Langston, 2932 Elmwood Ave., Bakersfield, Calif. 93305Filed Nov. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 594,907 2 Claims. (Cl. 217-40) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE The disclosure herein involved is concerned with apacking crate or lug of the type particularly adapted for the boxing ofgrapes. This lug incorporates, in addition to the end pieces, side slatsand a lid, :1 bottom having inwardly offset locking cleats receivable inlocking relationship to the top cleats of a subjacent lug. The lugbottom is constructed of slats and cleats as a single unit prior tomounting on the end pieces with the mounting of the bottom beingeffected through the utilization of nails driven through the projectingends of the bottom slats.

The instant invention is concerned with new and useful improvements inthe construction of grape lugs which, within the scope of conventionalpractices, construction techniques, and government regulations, resultsin not only a substantially improved product, but one whereinsubstantial savings are effected when compared with the conventionallyconstructed lug.

It is a primary object of the instant invention to provide a lug which,in the construction thereof, incorporates features which result insubstantial economies, while at the same time producing a lugincorporating a unique stabilizing feature therein whereby a stacking ofa plurality of lugs is possible without fear of damage due to lateralshifting of the lugs relative to each other.

In conjunction with the above object, another important object of theinstant invention resides in the utilization of a preformed bottomwhich, because of the nature thereof, results in a saving in both thematerial used, and in the assembly procedure and equipment.

Shippers of perishable commodities, such as grapes, in lugs have and arestill experiencing heavy in-transit damage arising from a shifting ofthe stacked lugs. This shifting resulting in a sliding of the upper lugsoff the support cleats of the lower lugs and a dropping of the upperlugs in the lower lugs so as to not only damage the goods in theimmediately adjacent lower lug, but also, in some instances, set up whatin effect amounts to a chain reaction with the shifting continuing alongthe entire stack. Many efforts have been made to solve this particularlyvexing problem, such as for example the use of specially milled upperand lower interlocking cleats having notched offsets or the like.However, inasmuch as literally tens of millions of lugs are used eachyear, it will be appreciated that a tremendous and most likelyprohibitive expense would be involved were the cleats to be speciallymilled or provided with an interlocking configuration as compared to theconventionally used elongated rectangular strips. Other attempts tosolve this problem have involved a notching or otherwise modifying ofthe end pieces or heads. However, inasmuch as these end pieces are onlythick any reduction of this width so as to define an interlocking notchor the like would result in a substantial weakening of the lug. By thesame token, inasmuch as the published weights of the lugs are based onthe cubic inches therein any variations in the internal area of thecontainer by a change in the mounting of the lid or bottom wouldpreclude a shipper from using the published weight normally associatedwith the particular type of lug involved.

The solution proposed herein for this problem of interlocking stackedlugs against side slipping is quite simple yet highly unique in that thedesired interlocking between superimposed lugs is provided for utilizingmaterials which require no special milling work and which, whenconsidering all the factors thereof, additionally provide for asubstantial savings in the cost of the materials utilized and in theassembly procedures.

Basically, lugs as now commercially manufactured so as to mosteconomically comply with strict government regulations, include endpieces or heads, generally thick, a pair of opposed parallel side slatsnailed at the opposite ends thereof to the end pieces, and top andbottom slats having the opposite ends thereof overlaid by cleatsparalleling the upper and lower edges of the end pieces with nailsextending through the cleats, the subjacent edge portions of the top andbottom slats, and into the top and bottom edge portions of the endpieces. As will be appreciated from FIGURE 4 of the drawings, it isnormal that there be approximately a 1" crown between the top or lidcleats so as to avoid the appearance of being slack packed upon arrivalat the destination. Such lugs are normally made up or framed at eachindividual packing and harvesting location from precut material. Thismake-up or framing comprises the placing of the two end pieces and thetwo side slats in a machine which, in a single operation, nails the sideslats to the end pieces. Two bottom slats are then positioned andmachine nailed. The lug next moves by conveyor to a cleating machinewhere two 1 /2" wide cleats are machine nailed to the bottom edge of theend pieces. As a final step, after the individual lug is loaded, the topslats and cleats are slipped beneath vertically extending nail-likeclips previously provided in the upper edges of the end pieces. Slits orslots are provided in the upper slats and cleats for this purpose aswill be noted in the drawings. The lugs are then ready for shipment withthe bottom cleats of the upper lug engaging directly on top of the uppercleats of the lower lug.

The lug of the instant invention differs from the above describedconventional lug through the utilization of a preformed bottom whereinthe bottom cleats are offset inwardly from the end edges of the bottomslats a distance substantially equal to the width of the edge mountedtop cleats so as to lie just inwardly thereof in the lug stacks, thisslight inward positioning of the bottom cleats not interfering with thenecessary crown of the top slats of the subjacent lugs. By the sametoken, inasmuch as the bottom is constructed as a single unit at themill, essential time at the packing and harvesting location will not berequired to individually mount the slats and bottom cleats. Likewise,the independent machine now utilized in mounting the two bottom cleatswill also not be required. On the contrary, the only step in preparingthe bottom of the lug at the harvesting location will be the nailing ofthe bottom to the end pieces by the driving of nails directly throughthe slat ends and into the bottom portions of the end pieces.

Several significant advantages are also additionally derived from thisconstruction. For example, it is contemplated that rather than utilizingtwo relatively wide bottom slats such as is now conventional,substantially narrower bottom slats can be used with the slats beingdirectly stapled to the bottom cleats. This use of narrower bottom slatscan result in a substantial saving in the cost of the slats, wider slatsbeing disproportionate-1y more expensive than thinner slats as is thecase with most lumher products. Further, inasmuch as the ends of theslats are to be nailed directly to the bottoms of the end pieces, ratherthan the mounting nails being driven directly through the bottom cleats,the bottom slats and then into the end pieces, substantially shorternails can be used in mounting the lug bottom, this also resulting insavings.

Finally, While the bottom cleats in a conventional lug will be, as isalso the case with the upper cleats, approximately 1 /2" wide, so as toprovide a sufficient width for the reception of a nail therethroughsufficiently long so as to penetrate the cleat, underlying slat and aholding distance into the end piece, the bottom cleats in the lug of theinstant invention can be approximately %1" wide in that the widththereof need only be sufiicient so as to receive and anchor a bottomslat holding staple driven therein. Accordingly, in summary it will beappreciated that the use of a preformed bottom unit with inwardly offsetreduced width cleats and narrower slats enables the provision of anon-slipping lug which, while closely conforming to conventional lugs inmaterials and assembly procedures so as to enable the utilization ofconventional assembling machines and methods, provides for a substantialreduction in the cost thereof. As an example, by eliminating one bottomcleat, the proposed bottom cleats being one half the width of theconventional cleat, a saving of one cent on each lug can be realized.This saving, when considering that tens of millions of lugs are usedeach year, will in turn result in a savings of tens of thousands ofdollars. By the same token, the use of shorter nails through the inwardoffsetting of the bottom cleats likewise results in savings which couldamount to thousands of dollars.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of a lug incorporating the featuresof the instant invention therein;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of a stack of such lugs illustratingthe interlocking cleats;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom perspective view of the lug of the instantinvention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the three bottom slats;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the preformed lug bottom; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional detail taken substantially on a planepassing along line 6-6 in FIGURE 3.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 isused to generally designate a lug constructed in accordance with theinstant invention. This lug 10 includes a pair of rectangular end orhead pieces 12, substantial full height rectangular side slats 14 nailedat the opposite ends thereof to the side edges of the end pieces 12, anda clip-on lid 16, the cleats 18 of which, in conjunction with the edgesof the two slats 20, have slots 22 for engagement about the shanks ofpredriven mounting nails or clips 24. This structure is the same as thatfound in the conventional grape lug now substantially universally used.As an example of some pertinent dimensions, in a pound lug, the endpieces 12 will be thick and the cleats 1%." wide, this also being thewidth of such bottom cleats as are provided in the conventional lug.

The features which are deemed specifically unique in the instantinvention reside in the bottom 25 of the lug 10 and the manner in whichthe bottom is constructed and mounted. The bottom 26 is to bepreconstructed as a unit at the mill for subsequent assembly as such atthe harvesting and packing location. This bottom 26 comprises three orfour bottom slats 28 intimately stapled, by staples 30, to a pair ofelongated bottom cleats 32 which are positioned transversely across theends of the bottom slats 28 inwardly spaced from the ends thereof adistance equal to or slightly greater than the width of the top cleats18 so as to seat immediately inward thereof upon a stacking of the lugsas illustrated in FIGURE 2. Inasmuch as the lug bottoms 26 arepreassembled, thinner strips of lumber can be used for the slats 28 thanis conventionally required 4 when assembling the lugs at the harvestinglocation. Thus, as noted supra, the lug bottom 26 of the instantinvention will incorporate three or four slats, rather than the twoslats normally used. This use of thinner slats will, by the same token,result in a cost saving.

The actual assembly of the lug bottom to the end pieces 12 of the lug 10consists of driving nails 34 through the opposite ends of the bottomslats 28 into the lower edge portions of the end pieces 12. As will beappreciated, these nails 34 do not go through the bottom cleats as in aconventional lug, thus enabling the use of substantially shorter nails,this also resulting in appreciable savings in addition to requiring onlya simplified nailing process. In addition, as will possibly best beappreciated from FIGURE 2, the bottom cleats 32 are approximately onehalf the width of the top cleats 18, the greater width not beingrequired by the bottom cleats in that no nails are to be driventherethrough such as would be required were these cleats 32 to be naileddirectly to the edge pieces 12.

The bottom cleats 32, paralleling the top cleats 18 transversely acrossthe lug 10 at the opposite ends thereof, because of the relativelynarrow width thereof, nest just inwardly of the top cleats 18 of asubjacent lug 10 without affecting the upward bulging or crowning of thetop slats 20 as will be readily appreciated from FIGURE 2. By the sametoken, the seating of the bottom cleats 32 in this manner effectivelyprevents any shifting of the stacked lugs such as could result in adropping of an upper lug into a lower lug and the substantial damagewhich would result therefrom. Furthermore, this construction is effectedutilizing conventional rectangular wood strips with the final productbeing a lug having all of the size and rigidity characteristics of aconventional lug at a reduced price both because of less expensivematerials and the elimination of assembly steps at the harvesting andpacking location, all of this of course being in addition to the luglocking feature constituting one of the basic objects of the instantinvention.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a packing lug, a pair of laterally spaced rectangular end pieces,a pair of side slats having the opposite ends thereof secured to theside edges of said end pieces so as to define a rectangular enclosure, alid overlying said enclosure, said lid comprising top slats extendingtransversely between and overlying the upper edges of said end pieces indirect surface-t-o-surface engagement therewith, and a pair of topcleats fixed to the top slats and extending transversely across the endportions thereof, one top cleat paralleling and directly overlying theupper edge of each end piece with the top slats therebetween, said topcleats being in direct surface-to-surface cont-act with the top slats,nail-like lid fasteners fixed within and extending upwardly from theupper edges of said end pieces, said top slats and top cleats, at theopposite ends of the lid, both including outwardly opening inwardlyextending slots therein for reception of the nail-like lid fastenerstherein upon an outward movement of the opposite ends of the lid forsecuring the lid to the end pieces in overlying relation thereto, and abottom, said bottom comprising bottom slats extending transverselybetween, underlying, and being in surface-to-surface contact with thelower edges of said end pieces, fastener means securing the oppositeends of said bottom slats to the lower edges of said end pieces, a pairof bottom cleats in direct surface-to-surface contact with the bottomslats, one bottom cleat paralleling the lower edge of each end piece,each bottom cleat being inwardly offset from the corresponding end piecelower edge to a point just laterally inward of the corresponding topcleat for engagement, in a stack of lugs, just inward of the top cleatof a subjacent aligned lug, and fastener means securing said bottomcleats solely to said bottom slats, said top and bottom cleats beingsubstantially rectangular in cross-section and of generally equalheight.

2. The construction of claim 1 wherein said bottom comprises apreassembled unit wherein the bottom slats are elongated, of equallength, and coplanar, said bottom slats being independently secured tothe bottom cleats for coaction between said bottom slats and said bottomcleats in defining a single unit for mounting on the lower edges of theend pieces.

6 References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 8/1935 Australia. 2/ 1946Switzerland.

RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ, Primary Examiner.

